Rise of a Star

[kinnikuniverse]

So there was another guy named dan kroffat...the one i know is from the can-am express, the team on the losing side of one of my favorite tag team matches of all time: Kenta Kobashi/Tsuyoshi Kikuchi vs Can-Am Express in 1992

 

Also, i'm so hype to see Renée go to japan and discover how tough and wild the joshis are in the ring and the culture there!

Edited August 13, 2023 by kinnikuniverse

[Old School Fan]

On 8/12/2023 at 6:46 PM, kinnikuniverse said:

So there was another guy named dan kroffat...the one i know is from the can-am express, the team on the losing side of one of my favorite tag team matches of all time: Kenta Kobashi/Tsuyoshi Kikuchi vs Can-Am Express in 1992

I'm familiar with him too, as I first saw him wrestle as Phil Lafleur in Stampede in the mid-'80s, and as Dan Kroffat, he teamed with Tom Zenk and Armand Rougeau back in Montreal with Lutte Internationale.

 

On 8/12/2023 at 6:46 PM, kinnikuniverse said:

Also, i'm so hype to see Renée go to japan and discover how tough and wild the joshis are in the ring and the culture there!

Hang in there, it's getting closer...  😁

[kinnikuniverse]

7 hours ago, Old School Fan said:

I'm familiar with him too, as I first saw him wrestle as Phil Lafleur in Stampede in the mid-'80s, and as Dan Kroffat, he teamed with Tom Zenk and Armand Rougeau back in Montreal with Lutte Internationale.

 

It is a mission of mine in a WCW 91 save to have a tag team division be composed of the steiner brothers, the Miracle Violence Connection, the Hollywood Blondes, Vader and Bam Bam Bigelow, the brain busters and the Can-Am Express. Always though Kroffat and Furnas was an underrated tag team

[Old School Fan]

Stampede Wrestling @ Stampede Corral
July 10, 1970 - Calgary, Alberta
Attendance - 8,270

Handicap match

Dave Ruhl defeated Buck Jones & Frank Marconi when Ruhl forced Jones to submit to a full-Nelson.

Sweet Daddy Siki defeated Bud Osborne by pinfall following an airplane spin.

Danny Babich & Mighty Ursus defeated Thunderbolt Cannon & Frank Marconi when Ursus forced Marconi's submission with a full-Nelson.

Carlos Belafonte & Dan Kroffat defeated Jack Bence & Buck Jones when Belafonte used the figure-four leglock to force Bence to submit.

Canadian Women's Tag Team Championship

Renée Martel & Claire Lepage (C) defeated Jane O'Brien & Patty Stevens when Martel forced Stevens to submit to the Alligator Clutch.

NWA North American Women's Championship

Ann Calvello defeated Ashley Sinclair (C) when Sinclair took a countout loss after fleeing back to the locker room area (Sinclair retained her title due to the coutout).

NWA International Tag Team Championship (Calgary)

Gil Hayes & Bob Sweetan (C) defeated Bobby & Jerry Christy when Sweetan pinned Jerry Christy following a piledriver.

NWA World Heavyweight Championship

Dory Funk Jr. (C) defeated Abdullah the Butcher by disqualification when Abdullah attacked the referee.

 

[Old School Fan]

NWA All-Star Wrestling @ Exhibition Gardens
July 13, 1970 - Vancouver, British Columbia
Attendance - 3,000

 

Eric Froelich and Bill Kochen fought to a time-limit draw.

Duncan McTavish defeated Jack Bence by pinfall.

Tex McKenzie defeated Don Morrow by pinfall in a scientific showdown following a kneelift.

Bulldog Bob Brown defeated Dean Higuchi by pinfall following an Exploder suplex.

Canadian Women's Tag Team Championship - Two Out of Three Falls

Renée Martel & Claire Lepage (C) defeated Irma Acevedo & Marie Vagnone, two falls to one, when Martel forced Acevedo to submit to the Alligator Clutch in the third fall.

NWA Pacific Coast Heavyweight Championship (Vancouver)

Don Leo Jonathan (C) defeated John Quinn by pinfall following a Mormon swing.

 

[Captain Kremmen]

On 8/10/2023 at 5:38 AM, Old School Fan said:

The first part of this latest behind-the-scenes post is something that should catch the interest of @kinnikuniverse regarding upcoming plans...

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

At a coffee shop in downtown Quebec City earlier on the day of the All-Star Wrestling show at the Colisée, Renée Martel was meeting with Barbara LaMarche for lunch, allowing the two friends to get caught up on the happenings in their lives since Barbara had been forced out of action due to her elbow injury against Fabulous Moolah the previous February.  "I was watching wrestling on channel 4 last week and it had your match against Tonette Kadrmas at the Mildred Burke tournament in Los Angeles on," Barbara mentioned as she and Renée waited for their lunch orders to arrive in a corner booth.  "You did great out there that night, even with all the interference going on against you later in the match."

"Thanks, Barbara, I gave it the best I could," Renée said.  "It just surprised me that Mildred chose me to give a run with her old WWWA title to when she filled us in on the plans for the tournament."

"Mildred did it because she's got confidence in you to carry that belt," Barbara pointed out.  "She thinks you're ready to get up to the next level and that's why you got the belt."

"Well, I sure hope I can," Renée said with a small sigh.  "She already has me touring with the belt for the next little while, and she's been talking about making arrangements for a Japanese tour for me with the title."

"Wow, really?" a surprised Barbara said.  "She's lining you up to head to Japan to wrestle?"

"It's not set in stone yet," Renée admitted.  "It's just talk right now, but when Mildred hears more, that's probably when she'll let me know."

"Well, if you get to go to Japan and you make it there, then you've got it made," Barbara said.

"A lot like wrestling in New York or in St. Louis," Renée said, indicating the respective strongholds of the WWWF and the NWA.  "They say if you make it in one of those places, you can make it anywhere in wrestling."

"Very true," Barbara remarked, eliciting giggles from both girls.

"So, Barbara, how's your elbow holding up?" Renée then asked after a moment.  "It must be doing better over the last few months."

"A lot better," Barbara replied with a grin as she flexed her left elbow, which was no longer in a sling or taped up, a few times.  "The physio I've been taking for it's been really helpful.  My physiotherapist determined recently that the left elbow's very nearly back at the level of strength my right elbow is."

"That's a good sign," Renée said.  "Once it's back at full strength and flexibility, you'll be able to get back in the ring and start wrestling again."

Right at that point, Barbara began looking somewhat uncertain.  "Oh, well..." she then said.  "I don't know..."

"You do want to get back to wrestling, don't you?" Renée then said.

"Well, that's just the thing," a hesitant Barbara said.  "While I was doing my physio over the past couple of months, I was doing some thinking about that..."

"Yeah, and?" Renée said.

"I decided on that a little while ago," Barbara said.  "Last week, I decided...  I'm...I'm done, I'm getting out."

"So you mean, you're retiring?" Renée said, sounding surprised.

"I didn't decide this without giving it a lot of thought," Barbara said.  "The physiotherapist did tell me that there was also a risk, if I got back in the ring, that I could reinjure the elbow if I wasn't careful, and it made me think that if I can't get back in at full throttle, at my best without worrying about reinjuring my elbow, then I just shouldn't get back in.  There was also an outside consideration that influenced my decision - Martin and I were planning on starting a family at some point soon," she added, referring to her husband, "and I'd like my elbow to be at full strength in order to hold a baby and handle housework.  At least with Martin working, he'll be making enough with his job to support us."

"Yeah, there's that," Renée said with an understanding nod.

"Then there's one other thing that played a big part in my decision..." Barbara said, becoming hesitant again.

"What's that?" Renée wondered.

"It's Moolah," Barbara said.  "She knows about that injury now, and after what you've told me about her and the way she is, I worry that if she and I crossed paths again, she'd intentionally try to go after my elbow again to try to reinjure it - not just to target me, but to get at you through me."

Renée nodded and let out a sigh.  "Oh yeah, after my own experience with Moolah trying to injure me on purpose, I don't doubt she'd be dirty enough to try that," she said, a hint of anger surfacing at the mention of Moolah's name and what the latter had done over time to make trouble for her and her friends.  "Are you sure I couldn't try to talk you out of doing so?  I mean, you shouldn't let Moolah try to force you out just because of what happened back in February..."

"I know, and I appreciate the thought," Barbara said, "but I've made up my mind.  I have my future to think of and I'd rather step away of my own choice rather than be forced out through injury by Moolah."

Deep down, Renée was disappointed by the news, as this meant that Moolah had won another battle in the rivalry between the two and that Barbara had become just another notch on Moolah's belt - but in the end, she understood that Barbara was doing what she needed to do, both for her own sake and for the sake of her future interests.  "Well, okay, I understand - ultimately, you have to do what you think is best and that's what matters," she said to her friend with a nod.  "I do hope you'll still come out to the matches here whenever I'm in town and we can do lunch before the matches."

"Oh, absolutely," Barbara said.  "I just hope you're not disappointed in me over what I told you, though."

"No, no, I'm not," Renée reassured Barbara.  "I am mad about what Moolah's done, though.  In fact, I think it's only fair that I should tell you about something Bruno Sammartino told me a few days ago back in Montreal regarding Moolah*..."

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

* So while this pretty much concludes Barbara LaMarche's involvement in this diary, what it was Renée told Barbara about Moolah will be revealed in a future behind-the-scenes entry, going back to around the time of the recent Montreal Forum supercard (and yes, the Living Legend himself will be involved).

Have a feeling that Renee' is gonna face some shoot trouble ahead in an attempt to wreck her career or run her off like she's done wiht LeMarche.

[Captain Kremmen]

See Bob Sweetan's name popping up there.

Sweetan was agood worker, excellent talker and delivered one of the best piledriver's in the biz. He was really good on Southwest Championship Wrestling.

Problem was, he was a major league POS IRL.

Not only a chomo, but he took advantage of guys in the ring and frequently stole from other wrestlers in the dressing room when they were out in the ring. Ed Wiskoski once said in an interview that he always locked his stuff up in the dressing room when Bob was around.

[Old School Fan]

NWA All-Star Wrestling @ Port Alberni Civic Arena
July 14, 1970 - Port Alberni, British Columbia
Attendance - 1,300+

 

Eric Froelich and Don Morrow wrestled to a time-limit draw in a scientific bout.

Duncan McTavish battled John Quinn to a time-limit draw.

Two Out of Three Falls

Dean Higuchi defeated Bulldog Bob Brown, two falls to one, when Brown was disqualified in the third fall for delivering a thumb shot to HIguchi's throat.

Canadian Women's Tag Team Championship - Two Out of Three Falls

Renée Martel & Claire Lepage (C) defeated Irma Acevedo & Marie Vagnone, two falls to one.

• First fall - Acevedo made Lepage submit to a Boston crab while illegally grabbing the middle rope for leverage (not seen by the referee).
• Second fall - Lepage avenged the first fall by pinning Acevedo with a flying bodypress.
• Third fall - Martel forced Vagnone to submit to the Alligator Clutch.

 

[Old School Fan]

NWA All-Star Wrestling @ Victoria Memorial Arena
July 18, 1970 - Victoria, British Columbia

 

Eric Froelich defeated Ivan Kameroff by pinfall following a dropkick.

Bulldog Bob Brown defeated Duncan McTavish by pinfall following an Exploder suplex.

Dean Higuchi battled John Quinn to a time-limit draw.

Canadian Women's Tag Team Championship - Two Out of Three Falls

Renée Martel & Claire Lepage (C) defeated Irma Acevedo & Marie Vagnone, two falls to one, when Martel made Acevedo submit to the Alligator Clutch in the third fall.

NWA Pacific Coast Heavyweight Championship (Vancouver) - Two Out of Three Falls

Don Leo Jonathan (C) went to a time-limit draw with Gene Kiniski after each wrestler had scored one fall.

⦁    First fall - Jonathan pinned Kiniski following a Mormon swing.
⦁    Second fall - Kiniski pinned Jonathan following a shoulderbreaker.
⦁    Third fall - Time ran out during the fall.

 

[Old School Fan]

NWA All-Star Wrestling @ Kerrisdale Arena
July 20, 1970 - Vancouver, British Columbia

Mixed tag team match

Eric Froelich & Claire Lepage defeated Jack Bence & Irma Acevedo when Lepage pinned Acevedo following a flying bodypress.

Tex McKenzie defeated Bill Kochen by pinfall following a bulldog.

Dean Higuchi & Duncan McTavish defeated Gene Kiniski & John Quinn when Kiniski was disqualified for throwing Higuchi over the top rope.

WWWA World Championship

Renée Martel (C) defeated Marie Vagnone by pinfall following a belly-to-belly suplex.

NWA Pacific Coast Heavyweight Championship (Vancouver) - Two Out of Three Falls

Don Leo Jonathan (C) defeated Bulldog Bob Brown, two falls to one.

⦁    First fall - Brown pinned Jonathan following a superkick.
⦁    Second fall - Brown was disqualified for using a thumb to the throat against Jonathan.
⦁    Third fall - Jonathan pinned Brown following a Mormon swing.

 

[Captain Kremmen]

Don Leo Johnathan hit that Mormon swing on Bob Brower with such precision that Brower's front tooth grew back! 🙃

[Old School Fan]

Now as promised, a behind-the-scenes flashback, going back to June 1970 and what happened then that Renée told Barbara LaMarche about later in Quebec City...

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

At an Italian restaurant in downtown Montreal on the night before the Montreal Forum supercard, Renée Martel, her father Marcel and Claire Lepage were having dinner with Bruno Sammartino, having reserved the restaurant's private banquet room so that they would not be disturbed by autograph-seeking patrons until after they finished their dinner.  "Your father was telling me about you winning Mildred Burke's old World Women's title at her tournament down in Los Angeles last month while we were talking on the phone," Bruno said to Renée as the quartet took their seats at their table.  "Congratulations on that."

"Thanks, Bruno," Renée said in response.  "When Mildred first announced her plans to revive the WWWA title, I didn't think I'd be the one to be given a run with the belt - I thought maybe one of the veterans, like Ann Casey, Bonnie Watson or Mary Jane Mull, would get the nod."

"They could've been, but Mildred choosing to put the belt on you tells me she's confident in you to represent the belt she once held," Marcel pointed out.

"Your dad's got a point there, Renée," Bruno agreed.  "Pretty much the same as when Vince McMahon put the WWWF belt on me to pass the torch from Buddy Rogers."

"Thanks, Bruno, and Papa," Renée said, right as the waitress who had seated the group at their table came back in to bring them their menus.  "Now that I have the belt, Mildred told me I should get out there and do the belt the honors it should have, so that's what I'm going to do."

"But you must be worried about what Fabulous Moolah's going to think about that," Claire then said.  "If she hasn't already, she's going to find out about your title win soon and I'd hate to think how she's going to react when she does."

"Sounds like you're pretty worried about Moolah," Bruno said.

"That's understating it a bit," Claire said.  "Me and my friend and tag team partner Barbara LaMarche faced Moolah and Toni Rose at the Forum back in January and it was Barbara who got the winning pin over Moolah.  On top of that, Moolah already wasn't happy that she had to wrestle before Renée did because she thinks she should always be top-billed and get the main women's match whenever the women wrestle - losing the fall really ticked her off, so did the announcement afterward that she'd have to defend her title against Barbara because of it."

"Sounds like Moolah, alright," Bruno said with a nod and a grin, knowing how Moolah was from having appeared at events with her over time.  A thought then crossed Bruno's mind as he then turned serious.  "Wait a sec, if it's the match that I'm thinking of..."

"You'd be right," Renée said.  "It happened here in town back in February, and Barbara was injured in that match when she dislocated her left elbow while trying a sunset flip on Moolah."

"Oh, boy," Bruno said with a shake of his head.  "I figured it was that match.  At a show I was in down in Washington, D.C., I overheard Moolah bragging about a match she'd wrestled here where her opponent got hurt.  She bragged that she was aiming to 'teach her a lesson' and use that match to 'send a message' to you because she knew her opponent - Barbara - was connected to you."

"Yeah, Barbara told me about what happened when I saw her in the hospital afterward," Renée said.  "She even said that Moolah told her point-blank after the match was stopped that she messed up the match on purpose.  I was angry about it after hearing it, but I wasn't sure if it was for real or just another one of Moolah's psych jobs."

"Well, as it turns out, it was for real," Bruno admitted.  "I was nearby tying up my bootlaces when I heard Moolah talking and she was talking loud enough for me to hear, and she admitted that she botched the sunset flip attempt by Barbara on purpose, then she said to her what you said she said after that.  When Moolah realized moments later that I was standing behind her and she saw me, I gave her a dirty look and cursed her out before I walked away."

Renée then looked down at the table top and let out a sigh of frustration while shaking her head.  "C'est incroyable," she said quietly in French over what she had heard.  "De toutes les choses..."

"I'm sorry that ended up happening, Renée," Bruno then said.  "Now that I think about it, I'm the one who bears some responsibility for why Moolah's been giving you trouble over the last few years."

"I don't understand - why would you think that?" a puzzled Renée asked.

"Back in 1965 after we first spoke at the Forum the night I wrestled there, I talked with Vince McMahon the day afterward in Philadelphia and referred you to him," Bruno explained.  "He expressed some interest at first until I told him that you were one of Mildred Burke's girls, but I guess he decided to talk to Moolah about you afterward."

"Then that explains the letter I got from Vince soon after that, saying he wanted me to come wrestle for him," Renée realized.  "But he mentioned in his letter that I'd have to join Moolah's camp and get training from her in order to wrestle for him.  I didn't want to do that because I didn't want to compromise what I already learned from Mildred, from Stu Hart and from Papa and I didn't want Moolah controlling my bookings, so I never answered the letter and I just threw it out.  Moolah must've taken it personally when I never replied to the letter."

"And that explains why she's been causing trouble for you, for Mildred and for anyone else connected to you personally since then, either directly or indirectly," Claire added.

"Well, there is something I could do to make it up to you, if I could," Bruno then offered.

"What's that?" Renée wondered.

"I have an ownership stake in the local promotion in my hometown of Pittsburgh, Studio Wrestling," Bruno said.  "It's got an event coming up in Pittsburgh on July 24 at the Civic Arena there, and I'd like to fly you down to wrestle at that event.  I talked with Johnny Rougeau earlier about it and he said I should talk with you and see what you said."

"That sounds good and all," Renée said, "but isn't Pittsburgh part of the WWWF's territory?"

"Technically, Studio Wrestling is affiliated with Vince, but in reality, we're an independent group and Vince doesn't control our bookings," Bruno said.  "We did use to book Moolah and her girls for our shows, but I dropped Moolah after I found out what she did back in February.  I've contacted Mildred about getting some of her girls to appear in Pittsburgh and she said she'd be open to that.

"And if you're worried about what Moolah might think about me booking you to appear in Pittsburgh, don't be," Bruno added, trying to allay any worries Renée might have had.  "I don't care what she thinks and I'm not beholden to her for booking girls to wrestle, and I think it'd be a huge mistake on her part if she tries to make anything of it in any way."

"Good to know," Renée said with a nod.

"And if it'll help, I'd like to book Claire to join you on the Pittsburgh card as well," Bruno then said.

"Hey, that sounds good to me," Claire said with a grin while looking to Renée.

"Then I'm in," Renée then said with her own grin.  "Talk to Johnny and set it up."

"Done and done," Bruno said, pleased to hear Renée's decision.  Picking up his menu, he then said to the rest of the group, "Now, let's see what looks good on the menu tonight..."

 

[Captain Kremmen]

Thanks for the history lesson. I'd never heard of Studio Wrestling. Do you know of any footage online anywhere? There always used to be fans like Ringside Rosie in the territory days. Gotta miss 'em.

Is a Bruno-Moolah showdown coming??? 😃

[Captain Kremmen]

On 8/16/2023 at 4:15 PM, Old School Fan said:

NWA All-Star Wrestling @ Victoria Memorial Arena
July 18, 1970 - Victoria, British Columbia

 

Eric Froelich defeated Ivan Kameroff by pinfall following a dropkick.

Bulldog Bob Brown defeated Duncan McTavish by pinfall following an Exploder suplex.

Dean Higuchi battled John Quinn to a time-limit draw.

Canadian Women's Tag Team Championship - Two Out of Three Falls

Renée Martel & Claire Lepage (C) defeated Irma Acevedo & Marie Vagnone, two falls to one, when Martel made Acevedo submit to the Alligator Clutch in the third fall.

NWA Pacific Coast Heavyweight Championship (Vancouver) - Two Out of Three Falls

Don Leo Jonathan (C) went to a time-limit draw with Gene Kiniski after each wrestler had scored one fall.

⦁    First fall - Jonathan pinned Kiniski following a Mormon swing.
⦁    Second fall - Kiniski pinned Jonathan following a shoulderbreaker.
⦁    Third fall - Time ran out during the fall.

 

Maybe I've got the wrong guy, but didn't Kiniski retire and open a bar?

[Captain Kremmen]

I noticed Bruno mentioned Vince, Sr. It's funny, the father, from what I've read, seemed like a pretty beloved figure in the biz. The son, however, has been quite divisive. And hindsight being 20/20, I do think Vince Jr. largely ruined this business. 😒

[Old School Fan]

On 8/17/2023 at 7:38 PM, piperrulz said:

Thanks for the history lesson. I'd never heard of Studio Wrestling. Do you know of any footage online anywhere? There always used to be fans like Ringside Rosie in the territory days. Gotta miss 'em.

AFAIK, there's very little Studio Wrestling TV footage available as the tapes were simply reused by WIIC (now WPXI), the station that originally produced the show.

19 minutes ago, piperrulz said:

Maybe I've got the wrong guy, but didn't Kiniski retire and open a bar?

That was his younger son Nick, who opened Kiniski's Reef in Point Roberts after he retired - Gene did often work there bartending after his own retirement.

On 8/17/2023 at 7:38 PM, piperrulz said:

Is a Bruno-Moolah showdown coming??? 😃

Without spoiling anything, we'll see what an upcoming behind-the-scenes post holds...  🤔

[Old School Fan]

Here comes the followup to my previous behind-the-scenes post...

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

In her home office back at her estate, Fabulous Moolah was sorting through some business papers at her desk when Donna Christanello came in, bringing Moolah's mail with her.  "Ah, thanks darlin'," Moolah said as she took the mail.  "So what's all in there today?"

"Just a few bills, the latest issue of The Wrestler and a few pieces of fan mail, after your secretary weeded out all the usual hate mail that came for you to the office downtown," Donna replied.

Moolah chuckled at what she heard.  "Yep, comes with the territory," she said with a grin.  Noticing that Donna was carrying a newspaper as well, Moolah then asked, "Did today's paper come early?"

"Oh, no, that's just yesterday's paper from Pittsburgh," Donna said.  "I have it sent out here because I like keeping up on the news from back home."

"Ah, okay," Moolah said.  Taking notice of something she saw on one of the paper's pages, she then said, "Hold on a sec, do y'all got it open to the sports section?"

"That's where it is," Donna said.

"That's what I thought," Moolah said.  "Is that an ad for a wrestling show on there? Sure looks like one," she added, pointing out what she noticed on the page.

"Uhh...  It is, but you wouldn't be interested," Donna said as she tried to hide what Moolah had noticed.

"Okay, now you got me curious," Moolah said, her curiousity piqued by what Donna was trying to hide.  "Hand it over, I want to see it."

Not daring to defy Moolah, but worried about what would happen as soon as she saw what she (Donna) was trying to hide, Donna handed over the paper.  Moolah had a look at the advertised wrestling event, which was scheduled for July 24 in Pittsburgh, and noticed that Bruno Sammartino would be main-eventing a steel cage match against George Steele.  "Okay, so Sammartino's main-eventing the show," she remarked.  "Just because he and his Studio Wrestling partners stopped booking me and my girls a while back over that thing that happened in Montreal back in February, that doesn't mean I'm going to hold a grudge, am I?"

It was when Moolah continued looking at the wrestling show ad, however, that she noticed what Donna did not want her to see, and she quickly began to see red.  "Wha...  What the hell is this?!" she snapped as she showed Donna the ad in question, which advertised Renée Martel appearing at the show - as a World Women's Champion.

"Lillian, what's the big deal?" Donna said, trying to defuse the situation.  "So Renée Martel's being advertised to appear in Pittsburgh - does it matter?"

"You bet it matters!" an angry Moolah said as she got up from her chair, fuming over the ad.  "What matters is she's being pushed as a World Women's Champion - they're trying to imply that she beat me for my title!"

"Uh, no, not quite," Donna said, pointing to the ad.  "Take another look - the ad says she's being advertised as the WWWA World Champion, that's not the same belt as your title."

"That doesn't matter," Moolah retorted.  "They're still tryin' to push that Martel girl as more of a big deal than she really is!"  Giving the newspaper back to Donna, she then stormed past her and headed for her office door.

"Where are you going?" Donna asked, concerned about Moolah's state of mind after seeing the wrestling show ad.

"I'm goin' to the office downtown, I got some business to take care of," Moolah stated as she headed into the hallway.  After Moolah left, Donna had another look at the ad in question featuring Renée and wondered if her boss was planning on cooking up a new scheme against her perceived archrival...

 

[Captain Kremmen]

Renee is gonna get assaulted on the street by Moolah's paid goons. That's what I'm thinkin'...

Also, I'd like to nominate Ms. Christanello for Biggest Idiot of 1970 for having that paper opened to the page advertising the Pittsburgh card in front of Moolah. 😁

 

Edited August 23, 2023 by piperrulz

[Captain Kremmen]

I dedicate this song to Renee Martel! 😀

Renee by Talk Talk:

 

Edited August 23, 2023 by piperrulz

[Old School Fan]

On 8/22/2023 at 1:26 AM, piperrulz said:

Renee is gonna get assaulted on the street by Moolah's paid goons. That's what I'm thinkin'...

Well, maybe not on the street, but stay tuned for what's coming up...  😮

[Old School Fan]

Studio Wrestling @ Pittsburgh Civic Arena
July 24, 1970 - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Attendance - 13,526

 

Claire Lepage defeated Patty Stevens by disqualification when Stevens pushed the referee aside as he tried to stop her from choking Lepage against the ropes.

Two Out of Three Falls

Johnny DeFazio & Mario Milano defeated Jim Grabmire & Tony Altimore, two falls to one, when Milano forced Grabmire's submission in the third fall with an abdominal stretch.

Dominic DeNucci defeated Baron Mikel Scicluna by pinfall following an airplane spin.

Bill Miller battled Prof. Toru Tanaka to a time-limit draw.

WWWA World Championship

Renée Martel (C), in her Pittsburgh debut, wowed and won over the fans (who had had to sit through plodding Fabulous Moolah matches in the past) with her technical skill and fast moves as she defeated Jane O'Brien by pinfall to retain her title following a belly-to-belly suplex.

Moments after Martel was handed her title belt post-match as the crowd were cheering for her, a masked intruder came out of the crowd, ran into the ring and attacked her from behind to knock her down, but as the masked figure attempted to deliver a kick, Renée - drawing on her past experience with having been legit attacked in the ring by unwelcome intruders, sent by the Fabulous Moolah and seeking to legitimately do her harm - was prepared and caught the invader's foot and took the invader down, then jumped on and executed an arm-trap crossface* on the invader while Claire Lepage, who had been watching the match from the staging area near the locker rooms, ran out quickly to assist Renée as she grabbed the invader's left leg and locked it in a half-Boston crab, allowing the girls to immobilize the invader long enough for arena security to arrive and take the masked intruder into custody back in the locker room area.

WWWF World Heavyweight Championship** - Steel cage match

Bruno Sammartino (C) defeated George "The Animal" Steele in a wild and bloody contest when Sammartino escaped the cage.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

* What would later become best known as the Crippler Crossface.

**In Studio Wrestling in Pittsburgh, Bruno Sammartino's title was not billed as a WWWF title, but simply as the World Heavyweight Championship.

 

[Old School Fan]

A behind-the-scenes post following up on what happened to Renée Martel at the Pittsburgh card will be coming up in the next little while, but in the meantime, a few days later across the Atlantic, her friend and colleague France Gall, who hasn't been featured in this diary in a while as she's been busy defending her NWA World Women's Lightweight title on an extended tour of Europe, made a stop on her tour for another title defence...

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Dale Martin Promotions* @ Leas Cliff Hall
July 27, 1970 - Folkestone, England

Two Out of Three Falls

Jim Moser wrestled Wayne Bridges** to a time-limit draw, tied at one fall each.

Two Out of Three Falls

Ivan Penzecoff*** defeated Spencer Churchill, two falls to one.

NWA World Women's Lightweight Championship - Two Out of Three Falls

France Gall (C) defeated Ingrid Nielsen****, two falls to one.

⦁    First fall - Gall used a three-quarter nelson combo to pin Nielsen.
⦁    Second fall - Nielsen pinned Gall with a crucifix cradle.
⦁     Third fall - Gall used a cross-armbar to force Nielsen to submit.

British Heavyweight Championship - Two Out of Three Falls

Albert Wall (C) defeated Steve Veidor, two falls to one.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

* Dale Martin Promotions was one of the British promotions that made up the Joint Promotions alliance (a British counterpart to the NWA) in the United Kingdom prior to their consolidation into a single company in 1975.

** Wayne Bridges later gained fame in Canada when he teamed with Dan Kroffat to win the NWA Canadian Tag Team Championship in NWA All-Star Wrestling in Vancouver in 1974.

*** Ivan Penzecoff later became best-known to Canadian wrestling fans as referee/occasional wrestler Cedric Hathaway in Stampede Wrestling.

**** Ingrid Nielsen was created for this diary.

[Captain Kremmen]

Moments after Martel was handed her title belt post-match as the crowd were cheering for her, a masked intruder came out of the crowd, ran into the ring and attacked her from behind to knock her down, but as the masked figure attempted to deliver a kick, Renée - drawing on her past experience with having been legit attacked in the ring by unwelcome intruders, sent by the Fabulous Moolah and seeking to legitimately do her harm - was prepared and caught the invader's foot and took the invader down, then jumped on and executed an arm-trap crossface* on the invader while Claire Lepage, who had been watching the match from the staging area near the locker rooms, ran out quickly to assist Renée as she grabbed the invader's left leg and locked it in a half-Boston crab, allowing the girls to immobilize the invader long enough for arena security to arrive and take the masked intruder into custody back in the locker room area.

Hmmm...

The attacker could be a man but I think it's most likely another woman.

Is it one of Moolah's gal mercenaries or is it a paid outsider? That is the $64 thousand dollar question.

Could Mr. Ascott be back?

 

Edited August 26, 2023 by piperrulz

[Old School Fan]

1 hour ago, piperrulz said:

The attacker could be a man but I think it's most likely another woman.

Is it one of Moolah's gal mercenaries or is it a paid outsider? That is the $64 thousand dollar question.

Could Mr. Ascott be back?

We'll see what happens when that post eventually goes up.

Meanwhile, on an off-topic note...

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Bob Barker
December 12, 1923 - August 26, 2023

 

And in celebration of the game show hosting legend (who once guest hosted an episode of Monday Night Raw in 2009)...

The Price Is Right classic theme (from the Barker era)

Edited August 26, 2023 by Old School Fan

[kinnikuniverse]

A mixed legacy, for sure. One of the greatest game show hosts ever and a legendary figure for generations of kids who missed school during weekdays, and an animal rights activist, but his treatment of the models makes captain fat fuck, leader of men (tm) look like a saint in comparison.

 

Never forget when he appeared on momday night raw that day. I couldn't believe it, and i still don't. It was so random lol

Edited August 26, 2023 by kinnikuniverse